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Marie,
The first thing you need to do is go find a good priest.
If, in the process of converting to Islam, you publicly renounced your
Catholic faith, you incurred an undeclared and automatic excommunication.
While you were coerced, at some point, you had to agree to convert, albeit
under duress. As far as the public is concerned, you're a
Muslim. Therefore, the remedy is to profess your Catholic faith in front
of Catholic witnesses and renounce Islam.
Of course, if you live in a Muslim community, your public re-conversion
to the Church could prove dangerous. The priest will know how to
handle this circumstance.
Nevertheless, this process doesn't entail a big public ceremony or anything
like that. Contact your local priest and explain to him exactly what happened.
He will be able to get the faculties from his bishop; it shouldn't
take a long a time: usually a few days. Once he receives the faculties,
he'll ask you to profess your Catholic faith in front of a couple Catholic
witnesses. At that point, you will be able to have your priest hear your
confession (in private obviously) and you can go on living as a Catholic, in
good standing, as if nothing ever happened. Once God forgives our sins,
He casts them into a sea of forgetfulness. He can also assist you in getting
your daughter properly baptized.
If you wish, you can immediately be reconciled under the following
Canon Law:
Canon 1357
§1. Without prejudice to the prescripts of cannon 508
and 976, a confessor can remit in the internal sacramental forum an undeclared
latae sententiae censure of excommunication or interdict if it is burdensome
for the penitent to remain in the state of grave sin during the time
necessary for the competent superior to make provision.
§2. In granting the remission, the confessor is to impose on the
penitent, under the penalty of reincidence, the obligation of making
recourse within a month to the competent superior or to a priest endowed
with the faculty and the obligation of obeying his mandates; in the meantime
he is to impose a suitable penance and, insofar as it is demanded, reparation
of any scandal and damage; however, recourse can also be made through
the confessor, without mention of the name. |
If your condition is burdensome to you, you may ask a priest to hear
your confession, but make sure you bring this Canon Law to his attention.
Trust me. I went through this, myself, when I returned to the Church
after being a Protestant Minister. Most priests are unaware of it. Just
print out this e-mail and show it to your priest.
Nevertheless, this is just a temporary fix. The priest will still have
to get faculties from his ordinary (bishop) in order to receive you back
into the Church in front of Catholic witnesses.
I hope this helps,
God Bless!
John DiMascio
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